Friday, March 7, 2008

Futaba 7C Radio Review

Radio control transmitters have gotten extremely powerful, affordable, and ubiquitous. Even entry level radios come with small LCD screens, a few model memories, and functions like exponential. Feeling that it was time to upgrade, I decided to jump in somewhere in the middle of the price and feature spectrum.





The Futaba 7CAF is the airplane version of their seven channel computer transmitter. It comes bundled with an 8 channel R168DF FM receiver and four S3151 digital standard servos . Other packages are available for helicopter flyers, those who prefer PCM receivers, and a slightly less expensive version with analog servos. The radio comes well packed and includes a variety of accessories, such as transmitter and receiver batteries, a wall charger, servo hardware, a switch harness, a frequency flag, and a neck strap. There is also a fairly large manual which includes lots of programming scenarios and how you go about entering them. This is really worth reading - some features of the radio are not obvious without it, as described later. The 7C can store setups for 10 different models, with a six letter name for each. Although the version I bought has a ratcheted throttle stick, it does contain full helicopter programming. If you fly both, get the heli version. There is a fairly large 72x32 LCD which presents a lot of information at once, without moving between screens. The dial at the right is also a button, so changing settings involves scrolling to the right page, then pushing to select it. The two buttons next to the dial move between values on a page. Compared to the less expensive 6EXAS , the 7C interface is a huge step up.





To test out the programming features, I set up the radio for my ElectriFly Yak-55 . One of the compelling reasons to stick with FM instead of jumping to 2.4 GHz radios was compatibility with my existing micro receivers. I dialed in the name and then checked my servos for reverse. To my surprise, the throttle channel to my electronic speed control was inverted, and thankfully the startup safety kept the prop from spinning. Apparently all electric models will need to reverse channel 3, so watch out for this. Since my endpoints were fine at 100%, the next step was to set up dual rates and exponential. The default is to have a dedicated switch for aileron, elevator, and rudder dual rates, but I prefer to have them all tied to one toggle, which is easy to change. To program, choose which control surface you want to affect, and assign it a switch. Move that switch to the low position, and set range of movement as a percentage. I started with 50% for elevator, then set the exponential for -15%, which makes the stick less sensitive around the center. Then I flipped the switch to high and set up 100% movement and -30% expo. I set up rudder the same, and made the low rates for ailerons 40% travel, since the Yak rolls quickly. The throttle channel also offers exponential, which helps spread out motor speed over the range of the stick. The last remaining feature I set up was a model-specific timer. I guessed I could get around eight minutes on a LiPo pack, so I set up a countdown timer. This feature is very flexible, because it lets you start and stop the timer based on a switch or stick position. I chose to tie the timer to the throttle stick, which is the most common scenario. The UI here was confusing, and reading the manual revealed a hidden feature: move the throttle stick to a position, then press and hold the dial button for one second. The result is that the timer will start and stop relative to that position, rather than the bottom of the range. Nice. Flying with the Futaba 7C felt good. By assigning dual rates for all three surfaces to the top-left switch, I was able to toggle this mode without taking my hands off the all-important right stick. If you haven%26#39;t flown with dual rates and expo before, it%26#39;s amazing how these features can tame a twitchy model like the Yak. The stick tension is adjustable by removing the back cover of the radio, but the factory settings were fine for me. I found the transmitter comfortable to hold while flying with my thumbs, and it was manageable with a pinch grip. Over the next few weeks I added five more planes to the radio%26#39;s memory. To save some time, I programmed one of the blank memories to initial settings that I liked, then copied it to all the other blank spots. Most planes only needed some trim and servo reverse settings after starting with this template. Although none required more advanced features like flaps or unusual tail configurations, I like knowing the radio can handle these setups. I also used the 7C extensively with the Mile High Wings USB Interface and a variety of simulators, where it performed well. There are three drawbacks to this radio, which may or may not affect you. The first is that Futaba does not offer a package with micro servos, or one without any servos. With the large number of park flyers and smaller electric planes out there, this is pretty surprising. I ended up putting the standard-sized digital servos up on the shelf, which is a shame. The second issue is the inability to use this radio properly with planes that have two elevator servos . Although you can set up a mix to operate them together, the digital trims will only affect the first servo, causing roll in flight. This was not a problem for me, but fans of larger planes should consider the 9C model instead for this reason alone. And finally, the 7C comes with NiCD batteries. This seems a little outdated at a time when us electric flyers are moving to lithium and getting rid of our NiMH packs. What this means in practical terms is that the transmitter will not hold an extended charge, so you%26#39;ll want to plug in the night before you fly. It%26#39;s a minor point, but at this price it would have been nice to see a NiMH pack for the transmitter. Overall I%26#39;m very happy with this radio. The features and ergonomics are very good, and it%26#39;s a good value at $250 USD street price. If you%26#39;re ready for a second radio, don%26#39;t look any lower in the line than this. In fact, the 7C is a very reasonable first radio for a new modeler who%26#39;s looking to jump right in. For someone with a little more budget, Futaba is releasing a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum version of the 7C this summer for a street price of $350 USD. No word yet on whether it%26#39;ll support dual elevator servos correctly. To learn more or read the manual, check out Futaba%26#39;s 7C site .

Futaba 7C Radio Review

Radio control transmitters have gotten extremely powerful, affordable, and ubiquitous. Even entry level radios come with small LCD screens, a few model memories, and functions like exponential. Feeling that it was time to upgrade, I decided to jump in somewhere in the middle of the price and feature spectrum.





The Futaba 7CAF is the airplane version of their seven channel computer transmitter. It comes bundled with an 8 channel R168DF FM receiver and four S3151 digital standard servos . Other packages are available for helicopter flyers, those who prefer PCM receivers, and a slightly less expensive version with analog servos. The radio comes well packed and includes a variety of accessories, such as transmitter and receiver batteries, a wall charger, servo hardware, a switch harness, a frequency flag, and a neck strap. There is also a fairly large manual which includes lots of programming scenarios and how you go about entering them. This is really worth reading - some features of the radio are not obvious without it, as described later. The 7C can store setups for 10 different models, with a six letter name for each. Although the version I bought has a ratcheted throttle stick, it does contain full helicopter programming. If you fly both, get the heli version. There is a fairly large 72x32 LCD which presents a lot of information at once, without moving between screens. The dial at the right is also a button, so changing settings involves scrolling to the right page, then pushing to select it. The two buttons next to the dial move between values on a page. Compared to the less expensive 6EXAS , the 7C interface is a huge step up.





To test out the programming features, I set up the radio for my ElectriFly Yak-55 . One of the compelling reasons to stick with FM instead of jumping to 2.4 GHz radios was compatibility with my existing micro receivers. I dialed in the name and then checked my servos for reverse. To my surprise, the throttle channel to my electronic speed control was inverted, and thankfully the startup safety kept the prop from spinning. Apparently all electric models will need to reverse channel 3, so watch out for this. Since my endpoints were fine at 100%, the next step was to set up dual rates and exponential. The default is to have a dedicated switch for aileron, elevator, and rudder dual rates, but I prefer to have them all tied to one toggle, which is easy to change. To program, choose which control surface you want to affect, and assign it a switch. Move that switch to the low position, and set range of movement as a percentage. I started with 50% for elevator, then set the exponential for -15%, which makes the stick less sensitive around the center. Then I flipped the switch to high and set up 100% movement and -30% expo. I set up rudder the same, and made the low rates for ailerons 40% travel, since the Yak rolls quickly. The throttle channel also offers exponential, which helps spread out motor speed over the range of the stick. The last remaining feature I set up was a model-specific timer. I guessed I could get around eight minutes on a LiPo pack, so I set up a countdown timer. This feature is very flexible, because it lets you start and stop the timer based on a switch or stick position. I chose to tie the timer to the throttle stick, which is the most common scenario. The UI here was confusing, and reading the manual revealed a hidden feature: move the throttle stick to a position, then press and hold the dial button for one second. The result is that the timer will start and stop relative to that position, rather than the bottom of the range. Nice. Flying with the Futaba 7C felt good. By assigning dual rates for all three surfaces to the top-left switch, I was able to toggle this mode without taking my hands off the all-important right stick. If you haven%26#39;t flown with dual rates and expo before, it%26#39;s amazing how these features can tame a twitchy model like the Yak. The stick tension is adjustable by removing the back cover of the radio, but the factory settings were fine for me. I found the transmitter comfortable to hold while flying with my thumbs, and it was manageable with a pinch grip. Over the next few weeks I added five more planes to the radio%26#39;s memory. To save some time, I programmed one of the blank memories to initial settings that I liked, then copied it to all the other blank spots. Most planes only needed some trim and servo reverse settings after starting with this template. Although none required more advanced features like flaps or unusual tail configurations, I like knowing the radio can handle these setups. I also used the 7C extensively with the Mile High Wings USB Interface and a variety of simulators, where it performed well. There are three drawbacks to this radio, which may or may not affect you. The first is that Futaba does not offer a package with micro servos, or one without any servos. With the large number of park flyers and smaller electric planes out there, this is pretty surprising. I ended up putting the standard-sized digital servos up on the shelf, which is a shame. The second issue is the inability to use this radio properly with planes that have two elevator servos . Although you can set up a mix to operate them together, the digital trims will only affect the first servo, causing roll in flight. This was not a problem for me, but fans of larger planes should consider the 9C model instead for this reason alone. And finally, the 7C comes with NiCD batteries. This seems a little outdated at a time when us electric flyers are moving to lithium and getting rid of our NiMH packs. What this means in practical terms is that the transmitter will not hold an extended charge, so you%26#39;ll want to plug in the night before you fly. It%26#39;s a minor point, but at this price it would have been nice to see a NiMH pack for the transmitter. Overall I%26#39;m very happy with this radio. The features and ergonomics are very good, and it%26#39;s a good value at $250 USD street price. If you%26#39;re ready for a second radio, don%26#39;t look any lower in the line than this. In fact, the 7C is a very reasonable first radio for a new modeler who%26#39;s looking to jump right in. For someone with a little more budget, Futaba is releasing a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum version of the 7C this summer for a street price of $350 USD. No word yet on whether it%26#39;ll support dual elevator servos correctly. To learn more or read the manual, check out Futaba%26#39;s 7C site .